On Wednesday afternoon, several tornadoes were documented in southern Florida as Hurricane Milton headed towards the region.

While tornadoes don’t usually garner as much attention as the fierce winds and dangerous storm surges of hurricanes, they represent a serious and immediate threat even before storms hit land and move inland.

It’s important to note that tornadoes can form more than 1,000 miles away from the hurricane’s landfall point, as explained by Roger Edwards, a senior meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center specializing in tornadoes.

Tornadoes Are Not Rare During Hurricanes

Hurricanes frequently produce tornadoes: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that nearly every hurricane and tropical storm that reaches the U.S. results in at least one tornado, given that enough of the storm’s circulation moves over land.

According to NOAA, these tornadoes typically arise in thunderstorms located within rain bands far from the hurricane’s center, although they may also form near the eyewall.

Generally, the tornadoes spawned by tropical storms are relatively weak and brief, yet they still pose a considerable risk, according to NOAA.

Understanding How Hurricanes Generate Tornadoes

Hurricanes and tropical storms provide all the essential weather conditions needed for tornado formation: They contain small spinning supercells within their outer bands, which are thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, as noted by Live Science.

As hurricanes interact with warm, moist air from the ocean, they create an unstable atmosphere when they come ashore, and their rotating motions can transform into tornadoes.

Visibility Challenges

Tornadoes that emerge from tropical systems can develop suddenly and be obscured by rain, making them challenging to spot, Edwards noted.

“When a tornado warning is in effect, individuals must act immediately,” he stated. “They shouldn’t delay. They can’t just look outside to find it; by the time they do, their home could already be damaged.”

Edwards encourages those in areas where houses may not withstand tornadoes to heed tornado alerts and consider relocating to a safer location, like the home of a friend or family member.

Notable Hurricane Events

Although tornadoes can appear up to three days after a hurricane makes landfall, most tornadoes typically happen on the day of or the day following the landfall, according to NOAA.

One of the most significant outbreaks of tornadoes occurred during Hurricane Ivan in 2004, resulting in a staggering 127 tornadoes over several days. The deadliest tornado linked to a hurricane happened in October 1964, claiming the lives of 22 individuals in Larose, Louisiana, due to Hurricane Hilda.